It’s that time of year again, when you will likely be invited to holiday events, see friends and family in celebration of the holidays, or you may participate in a community effort to help those in need.
As you connect with people, whether you haven’t seen them in a while or are just meeting them, it’s an opportunity to teach them who you are and what they can trust about knowing you.
In the product world, that is called a brand – those traits that differentiate one company from the others. In life, we each have a brand called “Me.” It’s important to be conscious of what your brand is and how it is communicated to others.
If you value being seen as energetic and enthusiastic, as competent and professional, as warm and caring, then it’s important to show up that way and demonstrate to people those qualities that you value most. Sometimes, clients will minimize the value that can come from putting their brand forward around family and friends. We couldn’t disagree more. How you show up determines others’ experience of you and shapes what they trust in you. These same people – whether friends, family or new acquaintances – are often the people who open doors to a new job, or invite you to participate in a hobby that will transform your down time, or introduce you to that “someone special” in your life. You get the idea – people who know us tend to be the ones who link us to other people or open doors to new experiences.
Spend some time thinking about what you want people to trust about you, how you want them to see and experience you, and what you hope they will feel when they think of you later. Think about your brand – and live it wherever you go.